I’ve been using Celluclay for many years now for the groundwork on bases for armor models, and was wondering if any of you use anything else. My problems with Celluclay are that it dries rock hard. It has to be glued to the wood base after it is dry. As placing it damp on even a sealed piece of wood will warp the wood.
It takes days to dry out. Any tank track marks have to be pressed in while still damp and they shrink when dried. It requires touch up work of various sorts around the edges.
I have had the same issue with it warping pieces of pine when i use that, but most of my bases i have no problem. And i have never had to glue it down wheat ever i use it on. I always mix a bit more than i need and put the base some where warm, like the aireing cupboard. This reall speeds up drying and the excess is kept some where coo so it does not dry out and i have enough to add to the edges, which can be a pain.
Lately I’ve been using a thin piece of crafting clay. I roll it out like a pie crust and lay it over my base and trim. It comes in many different colors, its sticky enough that it wont move around and stays soft enough to accept tire prints. Its also easy to set in figures or trees into the base. Sprinkled ground cover is also not an issue. I’ll find a photo.
The last time I use it, I sprayed some Woodland Scenic adhesive onto my wood base, let it get tacky then drop on the clay.
You can see on the edges where a little bit of the clay shows but after I add the trim and additional ground cover it’s hidden. I chose a darker clay type color just by chance I do have a spot that shows through.
Anyway thats what I’ve been doing for a while now.
once again i do things differently because i don’t know any better. i tend to use modeling clay but don’t glue it. i stain the wood base, glue any syrofoam or wood for elevations. mold the clay and paint it with cheap acrylics, a color close to the ground cover. i let it dry add ground cover, etc. i tried dry wall patch plaster but had to chisel out grooves and electric sand some of the ridges. i also have used liquidtex found in the art supply section.
If you’re having that severe of problems with it, you’re just not doing it right. First of all, don’t use a lot of water with it. Instead, use a good dollop of White glue and acrylic paint to tint it. Both are also water-based, and so are also good mediums for mixing into it. Use a little water to help the paints and glue disperse in it if it seems too lumpy.
Now this is the crucial part. To help get even more of the excess water out of it, get some fine lace or mesh from the hobby store—I think it’s called “Teule” (“tool”). It’s cheap and comes in rolls. SIt your big wet lump of Celluclay in it and, wearing some gloves, wrap it up. Squeeze the excess water out of it.
I use this method and the clay is like a thick brown paste. The glue and paint help to both bind and accelerate drting time. You can lay this down on a sealed plaque, shape it, insert diorama elements into it and it will just about dry overnight without warping your wood. Best thing is that it’s already basically painted, and you can just touch it up when it dries. If you have a heat source, like an old fashioned radiator or even just a floor vent where the heat comes up, this will hasten drying time even more.
